Let’s get real: Haiti is bleeding. Not figuratively. Literally. Families are being forced from their homes. Kids are growing up under gunfire. Communities are burning. Gangs are running the show in large parts of the country while the people who are supposed to lead stay quiet or talk about elections like we’re in some functioning democracy.

We are not.

Hundreds of thousands have been displaced by violence. Entire neighborhoods emptied out. Schools shut down. Hospitals overwhelmed. The economy is gasping for air. And yet, somehow, the conversation online — and even in political circles — is turning to elections.

Elections?

Let’s be clear. Elections don’t fix a war zone. You don’t vote your way out of a crisis where the only thing with authority is an AR-15 and a ruthless gang leader. Before we talk about ballots, we need to talk about bullets — and the people holding them. Disarming gangs and restoring basic security has to come first. Otherwise, any vote is just theater — a staged performance pretending we still have a functioning republic.

But if you scroll through Haitian social media right now, you’d think we’re in some ideological battle royale. People attacking, bullying, and threatening each other over who should or shouldn’t be the next president — like we’re living in a normal country where those arguments even make sense right now.

Let’s be honest: a lot of this is not patriotism. It’s performance. It’s people chasing likes, clout, and attention while our country burns. There are people out there who don’t really care about rebuilding Haiti. They care about going viral. They care about winning debates, not winning peace. And that toxic noise is drowning out the real issue: Haiti needs saving — not showmanship.

This is not about being pro-candidate A or anti-candidate B. It’s about being pro-Haiti.

Here’s the hard truth no one wants to say out loud: If we skip steps, Haiti falls further. If we try to leapfrog over disarmament, over peace-building, over restoring public services and trust in institutions — then whatever election comes next will be another empty promise. Another cycle of chaos. Another step toward total collapse.

Let’s say it plainly: You can’t have free and fair elections in a failed state.

So before we keep shouting over one another about who should be the next president, let’s ask some real questions:

• Can people vote safely in every zone of the country?

• Will the vote be respected by people who currently answer to no one but themselves?

• Will a new government be able to govern, or will it just be a target for the next round of instability?

If the answer to any of these is “no,” then we’re not ready. Not yet.

We have to focus first on the real emergency: disarm the gangs, restore order, reopen schools, get healthcare flowing again, make it safe for people to live — then we can talk about leadership.

This isn’t idealism. It’s survival. And if we don’t unite around that urgency — if we keep tearing each other apart online while our country disintegrates in real life — then we’ll lose more than credibility. We’ll lose Haiti.

We can’t afford that.

We need to stop acting like enemies when we should be allies in a fight for our country’s future. This is not the time to be tribal. It’s the time to be strategic, serious, and united.

Let’s save the country first.

Then we can debate how to lead it.